title: Factors associated with participation in cancer prevention and control studies among rural Appalachian women.
abstract: Rural Appalachian women bear a disproportionate burden from many types of cancer yet often are underrepresented in cancer research. This article uses 2 case studies to illustrate barriers faced and strategies used when recruiting hard-to-reach rural participants. Recruitment barriers include the population's competing demands and lack of trust of outsiders. Strategies employed include involving insider advocates, highlighting the positive experiences of early participants, spending extensive time in the community, and emphasizing potential community benefits of the study. We suggest recruitment strategies to better involve rural women and others who, by virtue of being "hard-to-reach," often are overlooked.
authors.affiliation: National Cancer Institute, Office of Cancer Survivorship, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA. leachcr@mail.nih.gov
authors.forename: Corinne R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Leach
authors.forename: Nancy E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Schoenberg
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hatcher
mesh_terms: D001061:Appalachian Region; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control*; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer; D005260:Female; D006302:Health Services Research; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010358:Patient Participation; D011315:Preventive Medicine; D019035:Rural Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012424:Rural Population; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control*